Birders never turn their noses up at sewage treatment sites

Shallow, nutrient-rich and relatively undisturbed, sewage ponds are a must-stop for many birders.

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St. John’s University biology professor Philip Chu uses a spotting scope, set lower to accommodate visitors, to observe waterfowl on a 40-acre settling pond late last month just south of Albany.(Photo: Kimm Anderson, kanderson@ stcloudtimes.com)Buy Photo

ALBANY – By the time we joined Philip Chu for some bird-watching at Albany's sewage ponds, most of the waterfowl had moved to the opposite bank. At least to the inexperienced, one gray silhouette was indistinguishable from another against the silvery, rain-pocked surface.

Through his spotting scope, Chu revealed an array of species swimming, bobbing, sleeping and diving.

A pair of buffleheads, the male identified by a large white patch on its head. Lesser scaup. Ring-necked ducks, in this light distinguished by the white stripe near the front of the wing. A redhead, which popped up from a dive. Another of the diving ducks, a sleeping canvasback bobbing on the water. A preening ruddy duck, more easily identified from afar by its upturned tail than its pale blue bill. A pair of gadwalls. A pair of horned grebes, fish-eaters usually found on larger water bodies, swimming fast along the rock-lined edge of the rectangular pond. And, closer to the gravel road, a pair of coots, which are not ducks at all but relatives of rails.

The ability to see several species in one stop is why Chu, a biology professor at St. John's University, brings students here on spring field trips. It's also why bird-watchers descend upon this and other sewage treatment ponds throughout the state — especially during drawdowns, when a 1- or 2-foot margin of exposed mud flats attract shorebirds.

"If conditions were right, you could count close to 1,000 shorebirds, theoretically, but conditions would have to be right," Chu said. He's seen 400-500 shorebirds at one time; most years, he said bird-watchers are lucky to exceed 200.

Bird-watchers never turn their noses up at treatment sites, which can draw an array of waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls.
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'Birds everywhere'

The Albany sewage ponds were among the stops Jason Caddy, 34, of Minneapolis, made last May on his best single day of birding in the state. He counted 108 species in Stearns County. A life-lister, he's seen 1,035 species worldwide since he started birding eight years ago.

"The big stars of the day were the sandpipers and shorebirds," Caddy said of the rainy, late-morning Albany stop May 19.

"I remember there were birds everywhere. There were gulls and terns — black terns. There was also a mix of a lot of ducks, but especially, especially shorebirds," Caddy said.

Among them: 20 Wilson's phalaropes and four ring-necked phalaropes.

"Red-necked phalarope are rare anywhere in Minnesota," Caddy said. "So to see them at the sewage ponds was really amazing."

On this afternoon, killdeer swooped over the brown grass on the other side of the gravel road. The tangle of an eagle's nest stood out in a line of distant trees. On the water, a trio of Canada geese paddled nearby.

Easy access

What sets Albany's apart from other sewage ponds is their size and accessibility.

Joe Mergen, Albany's public works supervisor, said the larger of the two adjacent to the road is about 40 acres, the smaller about 10. Both are about 6 feet deep.

Interstate Highway 94 is visible, yet the gravel access road is lightly traveled. Mergen sometimes sees cars parked there with license plates from as far away as New York.

Author and guide Kim R. Eckert, 68, of Duluth, has visited his share of sewage treatment sites. He listed about 365 in "A Birder's Guide to Minnesota," and ranks Albany's as above average because of its access.

Eckert, a St. John's University grad whose first career was teaching English, now leads about 15 birding weekends a year through MBW Guiding Services and another eight or nine outside the state. Guided trips, offered in conjunction with the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union, frequently feature sewage ponds.

"Oh yeah, if they're anywhere nearby we stop at them. Some are pretty small and don't have a whole lot. It depends on the time of year if they're going to be any good or not. Some of them are among the best places in the whole state of Minnesota," Eckert said.

Eckert has seen 406 of Minnesota's 439 recorded bird species.

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Ruddy ducks swim late last month on one of the city of Albany’s settling ponds, part of its sewage treatment system on about 100 acres south of town.
(Photo: Kimm Anderson, kanderson@stcloudtimes.com)

Food, early thaw

What attracts birds to sewage ponds is food — in the form of larvae, insects and crustaceans. The ponds tend to be in places seldom disturbed by humans. Plus, the shallow, nutrient-rich waters are among the first to thaw.

"As soon as the ice comes off the ponds, there are usually ducks," Chu said.

TOP PICKS: Kim R. Eckert, who has listed about 365 Minnesota sewage treatment ponds in his book "A Birder's Guide to Minnesota," suggests Thief River Falls, Crookston and Sleepy Eye as among the best — partly because of access, partly because there tend to be drawdowns.

Guided trip

If interest warrants, Bob Russell of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will lead a trip to the Albany wastewater treatment ponds as part of St. John's Abbey Arboretum's Spring Birding Day on May 17, an Outdoor University event that starts at 5:30 a.m. ($16 for the day; free for the 1:30 p.m. Albany excursion.) Find details at www.csbsju.edu/outdooru.

Spring viewing

Joe Mergen, Albany's public works supervisor, said the May drawdown likely would begin May 9 or 12. A drawdown takes about two weeks. Exposed mud flats attract shorebirds.

Commonly seen

In addition to an array of migrating ducks, the following frequently appear at Albany.